Photo via Bradleybraves.com
Three weeks removed from their last tournament, the mens golf team resumed action this weekend at the Derek Dolenc Invitational in Madison, Illinois For the second straight event, Senior Ethan Brue captured the top spot, leading the Braves to a third place finish.
The win gave Brue sole ownership of the golf teams record for most career victories. In his two seasons on the Hilltop, Brue has claimed individual medalist honors a Bradley-best five times. The record-holder, Lyle Burns, won four medals for the Braves from 2014 to 2016.
The senior won the invitational with an overall score of 205, edging out the second place finisher by two shots.
According to head coach Jeff Roche, Brues strong play can be attributed to his consistency.
He just played very steady, Roche said, He didnt put himself into bad positions … He only had one bad hole. Otherwise, he was solid all week.
In addition to capturing his fifth title, Brue set another Bradley record as the first player in program history to score each round in the 60s, by carding a 67, 69 and 69 in his three rounds of play, respectively.
Sophomore Charles Jahn enjoyed a career day as well, finishing at four over par for the tournament, good enough for 16th. His three-round score of 217 was his best career mark as a Brave.
Bradley headed into the Tuesdays final round of play in second place, however, the teams performance slipped a bit, and the Braves settled with a third place finish in the 17-team field.
Roche said the elements factored into the outcome of the invitational.
We didnt have the same energy we had on the first day, Roche said. Playing in 95-degree heat we were out on the course for 11 hours the first day.
The Braves will tee it up next in Akron, Ohio, for the Firestone Invitational on Monday and Tuesday before heading to the Bill Ross Intercollegiate the following week.
Roche said he views the tournaments as an opportunity for his team to improve across the board.
Well see how we respond, Roche said. Playing two weeks in a row will put us in better shape. It will help us make sure that were improving.
